


Four out of Five

by blueberrykurt



Category: Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 03:09:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17357813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueberrykurt/pseuds/blueberrykurt
Summary: After giving Colin's new game, Nohzdyve, a bad review, you have to meet with him.





	Four out of Five

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always appreciated.  
> Also posted on my tumblr: http://alexs-ummers.tumblr.com

“Nohzdyve made by Colin Ritman has some ups, but it also has many downs. There’s quite a learning curve when it comes to actually playing the game. You die so many times, having to start over that eventually you kind of just… quit. I’d give it two stars out of five. Definitely doesn’t meet the exceptions of his other games.” The television played your review of his game, Colin didn’t usually pay attention to such trivial things, but your opinion mattered to him. Despite only meeting you a few times, you were a trusted reviewer of Tuckersoft games. You’ve never had a problem with something he’s made before. He finds himself getting angry, wanting to dive back into his projects, prove you wrong. What did a stupid review matter anyway? 

It’s been a week or so since you’ve reviewed Colin’s game, Nohzdyve. Many people disagreed with your opinion on it, but you were only doing your job. You had to stop over at Tuckersoft today to test out some of the games before they were released, taking the elevator up to meet with Mr. Thakur. He called you after you gave Nohzdyve such a poor rating, but you always publicized all their other games in a good light. You sigh, fixing your bag over your shoulder. On one hand, you wanted to see Colin Ritman again, but after giving his new game such a poor review; you were scared to confront him.  

As soon as the elevator doors open, you’re greeted by Mr. Thakur as he already starts spewing out what new games their working on and his ideas for the company. “So, what am I testing out today?” You question, looking around at the new fancy building that Tuckersoft resided in. 

“Oh, about that…” He trails off, guiding you over to a desk in the middle of the room. “You’ll be working with Colin." 

You can feel your cheeks heating up, but catch yourself. He’s a professional, surely there’s no hard feelings over your review. You give Colin a small smile, hoping he doesn’t bring up the review. 

"Well, I’ll leave you two to it. Hopefully you like these games more than the last one.” Thakur laughs, walking away into his office. 

You avoid Colin’s eyes, setting your bag down next to your feet when you take the seat beside him. “So, what did you have to show me?" 

He puts his cigarette out in the ashtray, turning towards the computer as he presses the run button, the game coming to life. He shows you a few of the controls before letting you try it, but eventually you die, the screen turning black. He nudges your hand away from the keyboard, already starting to fix his mistake. "Pretty cool.” You tell him, leaning back in the chair to watch him work. 

“Better than Nohzdyve, then?” Colin has never been afraid to confront someone, you’re no exception, even if the review got under his skin. 

Again, you feel the heat creep up your neck from embarrassment, raising a hand to scratch the back of your neck as a nervous laugh comes out. “I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t  _terrible_.” You try to soothe over the situation, not wanting to sit here all day with Colin mad at you. 

Colin turns his chair to you, eyebrows raising as he folds his hands together. “I’d say two out of five stars is pretty piss poor.” He can’t help the way the words come out, drenched in annoyance. 

Your eyes narrow at him, crossing your arms as you begin to speak. “You’re lucky I even gave you that." 

He scoffs, turning back to look at his computer as he continues to code. "What do you even know about coding, anyway?” He’s pressing the buttons forcefully, you can feel the irritation radiating off of him. 

Now it’s your turn to scoff, standing up from the chair and walking away from him to cool off. You gave him one bad review and he can’t get over himself! You can’t stand how the entitlement rolls off of him. You groan, stopping in the hallway to relax. Sure, you didn’t know much about his job, but you knew how to do yours. You run your hands over your face, ready to leave and give up on testing their new releases. 

He gives you a minute to cool down, watching you walk away. Maybe his words were harsh, but so was your review. He’s not sure why he’s letting the review get to him, he’s had plenty of bad reviews of his games before. But it’s you, he’s always respected your opinion. He gets up from his chair, trailing behind you. You stop in the hallway, stress evident on your face. 

“Hey.” He tells you, leaning against the wall beside you. He feels awkward, he knows he’s hurt your feelings, but he’s never been good at fixing simple things like this. “I’m uh…” He trails off before clearing his throat. “Sorry about what I said." You shrug, still not looking at him, still not responding. "It’s just, I’ve always respected your opinion. Guess it just kind of hurt to be on the bad end of it." 

"I get it.” You finally respond, tilting your head up to look up at him. He’s looking back down at you and your heart catches in your chest. The look in his eyes makes your knees weak, you almost look away. 

He’s deep in thought, staring at your face. He’s got to admit, you’re attractive, he just hasn’t been so close to you before. “Can I kiss you?” He asks, catching you off guard. The question cuts through the silence. You never thought he’d ask you that, not after the review, but despite yourself you still nod your head yes.

A hand comes to rest on your waist, pulling you closer to him as his head leans down. His lips connect with yours, while you never expected this to happen, it’s definitely not a bad thing. Eventually he pulls away, gauging for your reaction. There’s a smile playing on your lips that he can’t help but return. “I’d give it four out of five stars.” 

He lets out a laugh, raising his eyebrows at your words. “Four out of five?” He questions, leaning down to capture your lips with his again. He grips your hip just a little bit harder, his body trapping you against the wall. He pulls away from the kiss, leaving you breathless. “Any better?" 

You nod, not trusting the words to come out right. He’s definitely beat your expectations. 

He realizes you’re not gonna respond, stepping away from your figure. He’s never been scared of taking a chance so the words come out easy, "Do you wanna go out some time?" 

"Yeah, yeah. I’d love to." 


End file.
